DALLAS (AP)—The Cincinnati Reds are still trying to figure out whether
Aroldis Chapman(notes) will wind up as a starter or closer.

The Cuban left-hander with a fastball that regularly tops 100 mph has
pitched in 69 games during his two-year career in the majors, all of them in
relief.

Reds manager Dusty Baker says the team hoped to stretch out the 23-year-old
Chapman in the Arizona Fall League and then send him to pitch in Puerto Rico.
But Baker said the plan didn’t work because the Reds found Chapman has weakness
in his shoulder.

“So right now we’re back to the drawing board, I guess,” Baker said Monday
at the winter meetings. “I’d love to tell you a definitive answer, I just don’t
have one.”

Not much else going on in the MLB planet today.

DALLAS — The Cincinnati Reds are still trying to figure out whether Aroldis Chapman will wind up as a starter or closer.

The Cuban left-hander with a fastball that regularly tops 100 mph has pitched in 69 games during his two-year career in the majors, all of them in relief.

What do you guys think about this.

Reds manager Dusty Baker, right, and catcher Ramon Hernandez walk off the field at Great American Ball Park for the final time this season after a 2-0 win. / DAVID KOHL/AP

Written by

Associated Press

More In Sports

‘);
$(‘#ody-nextstoryslider’).append(‘Read More’);
return;
}
var _art,_right,wpElem;
var _beenzagged=(function(){
var _u = GEL.env.user;
return(_u.state || _u.yob || _u.zip )?true:false;
})();
var _laststate=(function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’);
var _closed = _t.getValue(‘lastNextStoryState’);
return _closed;
})();
if(!_beenzagged){
getContent();
var _slidestate=_laststate==’false’?'handle’:”;
_art=$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article’);
_right=$(‘.ody-skin .ody-aside’);
wpElem=_art.height()>_right.height()?_art:_right;
var slider=GEL.widget.slider(wpElem,’ody-nextstoryslider’,{
close: ‘‘,
closeCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'false’)
},
direction: ‘right’,
handle: ‘‘,
openCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'true’)
},
offset: function(){
var offSet=$.waypoints(‘viewportHeight’)-($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height());
if(($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height())

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

MILWAUKEE (AP)—The slumping Cincinnati Reds held a team meeting on
Saturday before taking on the Milwaukee Brewers after losing six of the last
eight games and falling two games under .500 for the first time in more than a
year.

Reds manager Dusty Baker declined to say what issues would be discussed, but
the Reds have alternated losing leads and failing to generate enough offense
over the last week and a half.

Cincinnati has dropped two consecutive one-run games against the Brewers to
start this four-game series.

The Reds lost Thursday’s opener 5-4 after going 2 for 13 with runners in
scoring position and stranding men on the corners in the ninth. On Friday, they
squandered leads of 4-0 and 7-5 when closer Francisco Cordero(notes) allowed three runs
in the ninth.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

Johnny Cueto(notes) struck out 138 batters while winning 12 games over 31 starts for the Cincinnati Reds last year, but he hasn’t taken the mound this season due to an irritated right triceps.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Cueto will make his return to the Reds rotation on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. In his four rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville, he had a 6.28 ERA with six walks and 13 strikeouts, according to MLB.com.

The site reports that Cueto will take Mike Leake’s(notes) spot in the rotation. “We’ll probably move [Leake] to the bullpen,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said, according to MLB.com. “We were trying to do that anyway. Remember, coming out of spring training, he was going to be the long man. He performed well in those other guys’ absence.”

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Cincinnati EnquirerMLB.com

Related: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds

Leave your comments on the news below.

CINCINNATI — Reds starter Mike Leake will keep his spot in the rotation while he handles a misdemeanor shoplifting charge.

Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker decided to keep Leake as his starter Thursday for the final game of a series against Arizona. Leake was arrested Monday afternoon at a downtown department store, accused of removing the tags from six T-shirts and trying to steal them.

Baker talked to Leake before deciding to keep him on schedule to start.

“We talked about how he felt and could he handle the pressures of it, and he said yeah,” Baker said. “Sometimes when you’re in times of trouble, it’s easier to go to work than to not go to work.

“I remember when Pete Rose was having problems at home — his dad passed — (and) I asked Pete how he was dealing with it. He said those three or four hours at the park were a sanctuary from his problems. When the game was over, the same problems were there. So hopefully this will be a sanctuary from what transpired this week.”

Police arrest reports said Leake removed the price tags from six American Rag T-shirts at a Macy’s store Monday and tried to leave without paying for them. The shirts were valued at $59.88. Leake makes $425,000 in his second season in the majors.

Leake has not discussed the arrest, other than to issue an apology “for this distraction.” He declined to be interviewed Tuesday, saying he would rather wait until after his start Thursday to talk to the media.

Leake had his first court hearing Tuesday before the series opener against Arizona. His lawyer asked to let him enter a Hamilton County diversion program for first-time offenders. If accepted, he would pay a $200 fee, likely perform volunteer work and take a class.

He also would have to acknowledge guilt. His record could be wiped clean once he completed the program. His next court date is May 18.

Baker has thought about the reaction Leake will receive from fans at Great American Ball Park when he starts.

“You’re always concerned, but it’s going to happen sooner or later,” Baker said. “Probably be less adverse fan reaction at home than it would be on the road, you know. We considered that.”

What are your opinions.

That’s all for today.

Subscribe to our feed!.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — A sore right elbow and shoulder will sideline Cincinnati Reds starter Johnny Cueto for the start of the season.

Cueto flew back to Cincinnati and had an MRI that found inflammation in the shoulder. He had to leave his last two spring training starts because of soreness. Doctors have advised him not to throw for at least a week.

The Reds plan to leave him behind to work out in Arizona when they head north to start the season against Milwaukee on March 31.

The injury forces manager Dusty Baker to change his rotation. He’s now planning to go with Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo, Travis Wood and Mike Leake.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Right-handed starter Johnny Cueto will miss the start of the season because of an inflamed pitching shoulder, forcing the Cincinnati Reds to juggle their rotation.

Cueto had to leave his last two spring training starts because of soreness in his right arm. He returned to Cincinnati over the weekend for an examination by Dr. Timothy Kremchek and an MRI that found mild inflammation in the shoulder but no significant injury.

“Everything is structurally fine,” general manager Walt Jocketty said Monday. “Dr. Kremchek recommended that he not throw for a week to 10 days, then begin a throwing program.”

The Reds plan to leave Cueto at their training complex in Arizona when they head north to open the season on Thursday, March 31 against Milwaukee.

The injury forced manager Dusty Baker to rearrange his rotation less than two weeks before the opener. He had planned to use Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo and Cueto at the top of the rotation, with Homer Bailey, left-hander Travis Wood and Mike Leake in the mix for the last two spots.

Baker tentatively reordered the top of his rotation as Volquez, Bailey and Arroyo, with Wood and Leake filling the last two spots in some order. Wood would be the only left-hander in the rotation.

Cueto got a $27 million, four-year deal last January, allowing both sides to avoid salary arbitration. The 24-year-old pitcher went 12-7 last season and led the staff with 138 strikeouts. The bullpen blew six save chance behind him, the second-highest total for any pitcher in the majors.

He was especially good late in the season, when the Reds were closing in on the NL Central title and their first playoff appearance in 15 years. He made quality starts in six of his last seven appearances. He started the third and final game of the Reds’ playoff series against Philadelphia, losing 2-0.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.

The Cincinnati Reds and backup catcher Ryan Hanigan have agreed to a three-year, $4 million deal with a chance to make $4.8 million.

Hanigan will get a $300,000 signing bonus with a $450,000 salary for this year. He’ll then make a base salary of $1.2 million in 2012 with the possibility of another $400,000 in base escalators.

Hanigan’s base salary for 2013 will be $2.05 million, plus another $400,000 in possible escalators.

“This gives him some security,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said on Monday. “He’s worked hard on learning how to drive in runs. He’s always ready and always helpful.”

The way the deal is structured, the more playing time he gets, the more he’ll be paid like a starter.

The negotiations between the Reds and agent Tom O’Connell had been ongoing over the last six months.

Buster Olney is a senior MLB writer for ESPN The Magazine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Gotta run!.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — What I like, and don’t like, about the Reds:

Likes

• These guys, again, will score. A lot. The Reds led the NL in both runs scored and home runs in 2010 and nearly every essential ingredient returns for 2011. That starts with NL MVP Joey Votto, who smacked 37 homers, batted .324 and has established himself as a Triple Crown candidate. Jay Bruce (25 homers), Drew Stubbs (22), Scott Rolen (20), Brandon Phillips (18) and Jonny Gomes (18) add to Thumper’s Row.

• Look for second baseman Brandon Phillips’ offensive numbers to improve. He suffered a badly bruised hand when he was hit by a Santiago Casilla pitch in San Francisco in late August and was not the same after. He stubbornly stayed in the lineup looking to help the Reds win and looking to keep himself sharp for when the playoffs started. Phillips’ 18 homers were his lowest total since 2006, his 59 RBI were his fewest ever over a full season — as were his 16 steals.

• Cincinnati’s defense is golden. The Reds, who set a club record with a .988 fielding percentage in 2010, earned three Gold Gloves last summer: Third baseman Rolen, second baseman Phillips and pitcher Bronson Arroyo. And in the one significant lineup swap from last year, the Reds let shortstop Orlando Cabrera walk and are planning to go with Paul Janish. The Reds like Janish’s glove, and he did hit .260 in 82 games last season. They do not have exceedingly high offensive expectations for Janish given their prolific bats all around him. If he does the job on defense and hits a little, that will suffice (though manager Dusty Baker likes veterans and will be tempted to use Edgar Renteria at short).

• Right-hander Edinson Volquez, an All-Star in 2008, is entering his first full season some 18 months after undergoing Tommy John ligament transfer surgery. He made it back after the All-Star break last season, starting 12 games (4-3, 4.31). Best thing about that is it gave him a jump start on 2011. “Last year he was overthrowing a lot, and his command suffered,” Reds pitching coach Bryan Price says. “This kid is a strike thrower who gets in trouble when he tries to do too much. He can average one strikeout an inning and walk less than two hitters per nine innings. He has the ability to be that type of pitcher. And that will lead to a lot of innings.”

Dislikes

• No definitive leadoff man. As was the case last year, manager Dusty Baker likely will rotate a handful of Reds through the top spot in the order. In 2010, the Reds used seven different leadoff hitters, with Phillips, Cabrera and Stubbs getting the bulk of the starts in that slot. “The primo guy probably is Stubbs, but is he ready to do that yet?” Baker says. “I’m not going to tear up my whole lineup just to find somebody. … We still led the league in runs scored last year. What are you going to try and do, lead the whole universe?”

• The rotation’s 4.05 ERA last season ranked 10th in the NL. Part of that is because Great American Ballpark is a bandbox that surrenders cheap home runs. So the Reds likely are not ever going to rank among the league’s pitching leaders. But NL Central rival Milwaukee has added Zack Greinke this year, and the Phillies, who eliminated the Reds in the playoffs last October, feature Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and others. Cincy’s rotation is young and growing. It is good enough for the Reds to contend. But can it be dominant enough to play deep into October?

• The Reds this spring need to sort out middle relievers who can get them from whomever is starting that night to the late-innings parade of Bill Bray, Nick Massett, Logan Ondrusek, Aroldis Chapman and closer Francisco Cordero. There are two spots on a projected 12-man staff for that. Hello Jordan Smith … or Jared Burton … or Danny Herrera … or Sam LeCure … or Carlos Fisher.

That’s all the news for today.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — What I like, and don’t like, about the Reds:

Likes

• These guys, again, will score. A lot. The Reds led the NL in both runs scored and home runs in 2010 and nearly every essential ingredient returns for 2011. That starts with NL MVP Joey Votto, who smacked 37 homers, batted .324 and has established himself as a Triple Crown candidate. Jay Bruce (25 homers), Drew Stubbs (22), Scott Rolen (20), Brandon Phillips (18) and Jonny Gomes (18) add to Thumper’s Row.

• Look for second baseman Brandon Phillips’ offensive numbers to improve. He suffered a badly bruised hand when he was hit by a Santiago Casilla pitch in San Francisco in late August and was not the same after. He stubbornly stayed in the lineup looking to help the Reds win and looking to keep himself sharp for when the playoffs started. Phillips’ 18 homers were his lowest total since 2006, his 59 RBI were his fewest ever over a full season — as were his 16 steals.

• Cincinnati’s defense is golden. The Reds, who set a club record with a .988 fielding percentage in 2010, earned three Gold Gloves last summer: Third baseman Rolen, second baseman Phillips and pitcher Bronson Arroyo. And in the one significant lineup swap from last year, the Reds let shortstop Orlando Cabrera walk and are planning to go with Paul Janish. The Reds like Janish’s glove, and he did hit .260 in 82 games last season. They do not have exceedingly high offensive expectations for Janish given their prolific bats all around him. If he does the job on defense and hits a little, that will suffice (though manager Dusty Baker likes veterans and will be tempted to use Edgar Renteria at short).

• Right-hander Edinson Volquez, an All-Star in 2008, is entering his first full season some 18 months after undergoing Tommy John ligament transfer surgery. He made it back after the All-Star break last season, starting 12 games (4-3, 4.31). Best thing about that is it gave him a jump start on 2011. “Last year he was overthrowing a lot, and his command suffered,” Reds pitching coach Bryan Price says. “This kid is a strike thrower who gets in trouble when he tries to do too much. He can average one strikeout an inning and walk less than two hitters per nine innings. He has the ability to be that type of pitcher. And that will lead to a lot of innings.”

Dislikes

• No definitive leadoff man. As was the case last year, manager Dusty Baker likely will rotate a handful of Reds through the top spot in the order. In 2010, the Reds used seven different leadoff hitters, with Phillips, Cabrera and Stubbs getting the bulk of the starts in that slot. “The primo guy probably is Stubbs, but is he ready to do that yet?” Baker says. “I’m not going to tear up my whole lineup just to find somebody. … We still led the league in runs scored last year. What are you going to try and do, lead the whole universe?”

• The rotation’s 4.05 ERA last season ranked 10th in the NL. Part of that is because Great American Ballpark is a bandbox that surrenders cheap home runs. So the Reds likely are not ever going to rank among the league’s pitching leaders. But NL Central rival Milwaukee has added Zack Greinke this year, and the Phillies, who eliminated the Reds in the playoffs last October, feature Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and others. Cincy’s rotation is young and growing. It is good enough for the Reds to contend. But can it be dominant enough to play deep into October?

• The Reds this spring need to sort out middle relievers who can get them from whomever is starting that night to the late-innings parade of Bill Bray, Nick Massett, Logan Ondrusek, Aroldis Chapman and closer Francisco Cordero. There are two spots on a projected 12-man staff for that. Hello Jordan Smith … or Jared Burton … or Danny Herrera … or Sam LeCure … or Carlos Fisher.

That’s all the news for today.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen leads the team in deadpan humor. Asked if he had surgery in the offseason, Rolen said:

“Not that I remember.”

But Rolen did end the season hurting.

“I think everybody’s a little beat up at the end,” he said.

However, Rolen was more beat up, and it caught up to him. He hit .290 with 17 home runs and 57 RBI in the first half, but 277 with three home runs and 26 RBI in the second half.

One of the things the Reds will try to do this year is keep Rolen strong for the long run. It’s not that they didn’t try in 2010. Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker rested Rolen on a regular basis, often to the criticism of the fans.

But it didn’t work.

“I can’t pinpoint anything that I would have done differently,” Rolen said. “I did my maintenance. I did my work.”

Rolen, 35, has a long history of injuries. He’s always looking at ways to avoid them, so he will try to tweak his preparation.

One of the things he will do is play less during spring training. He talked to Reds manager Dusty Baker about not getting as many spring at-bats.

“One of the things I want to look at is playing a little less here,” he said. “In Toronto, I was playing one of three. Here, it was every other day. I’d like to keep a few more bullets in the chamber.”

Rolen got 50 spring at-bats in 2010. That was in line with all the other regulars.

It make sense to cut back this year to keep Rolen fresher and to get more at-bats for Juan Francisco and Todd Frazier.

Rolen will look at other things during the season to keep fresh.

“Maybe I’ll change my pregame routine up a little bit,” he said. “Look at different things along the way: Day games after night games. Make a conscious effort to do less field work or maybe no field work, just get loose in the cage and go out, play the game and see if that works.”

Rolen is not sure it will help.

“These are just thoughts, not answers,” Rolen said. “It’s a long season, (and) a lot of travel. You get beat up. Everybody gets beat up. It gets to the point where we’re kind of living in dog years with our bodies.”

Rolen played through stiffness in his neck and shoulder in September. It might have helped to go on the disabled list and let it subside.

“I need to be more responsible with that,” he said. “If it’s April, May or June, I probably go on the DL. But the last two or three weeks of the season, you’re trying to get through and clinch. I’m never going to be too responsible (to the DL) at that time.”

Neck, shoulder and back injuries are things Rolen has dealt with in the past. They affect play tremendously.

“That’s not a little tweaked hamstring,” he said. “That’s something I’ve had trouble with in the past. I should have probably taken care of it. When I say take care of it, it’s not that I didn’t take care of it, but I played.”

Rolen is planning to talk to Baker to work out a specific plan. He played in 133 games in 2010 and started 125. Baker said Rolen probably will start about 120 games this season.

“I’d like more, but I’m spacing him for that, so I give him day after nights, especially when you play 14 games in a row,” Baker said. “He’s a guy I’ve got to program to play to the off days.

“He’s not going to say (he wants out). I have to go on what I see, if I see his swing, or stiffness. I’ve got a pretty good eye for differences. He trusts me. We’ll talk about things.”

That’s all for today.

Photo By Kayla Robinson/The Daily Jeffersonianwww.buyjeffphotos.com The Cincinnati Reds Caravan made a brief stop in Cambridge on Friday. On hand were manager Dusty Baker, mascot Rosie Red, pitcher Travis Wood, top minor league prospect Todd Frazier, and TV broadcaster Chris Welsh.

www.buyjeffphotos.com

The Cincinnati Reds Caravan made a brief stop in Cambridge on Friday. On hand were manager Dusty Baker, mascot Rosie Red, pitcher Travis Wood, top minor league prospect Todd Frazier, and TV broadcaster Chris Welsh.

That’s all the news for today.